If FG did not ban Twitter in Nigeria, then who did?

[By VICTOR NZE]

Shock and disbelief have continued to knock Federal Government’s recent claim that it had not banned Twitter use in Nigeria.

The government’s disclaimer has further thrown up another twist in the near internet blackout, as Nigerians now ask; who then has hindered users from accessing the micro-blogging platform for nearly two months now?

Federal Government, had through its counsel, Ilop Lawrence in a counter-affidavit lodged in response to a suit filed before a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, last Thursday, claimed that it never banned operations of Twitter in the country.

This is also as the government equally claimed in the counter-affidavit to be ignorant of the microblogging platform deleting a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that was deemed to be genocidal by users prompting Twitter to remove it.

The motion contained in the counter-affidavit was contained in an originating suit filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, marked; FHC/L/CS/542/2021, in which he is seeking nine reliefs, including to get an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents (FG) from further suspending, deactivating or banning the operation and accessibility of Twitter or any other social media service in Nigeria because this will imply a violation of his rights and those of millions of Nigerians.

However, a counter-affidavit by Lawrence, representing the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, countered that the suspension of Twitter is not an abuse of human rights ‘because Nigerians are still using Twitter despite the suspension.’

In the suit, the applicant had joined the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Minister of Information and Culture, and the Federal Government, as First to Third respondents.

“Twitter had become a platform of choice for a particular separatist promoter who constantly uses the platform to direct his loyalists to kill Nigerian soldiers and policemen, run down government structures and destroy all symbols of Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“Every attempt by the defendant to persuade Twitter to deny its platform to this separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and was not taken seriously.

“The respondents (Federal Government and AGF) have never stopped the applicant (Effiong) and the class of persons he seeks to represent from voicing their opinions to access government information and offer criticism where necessary.

“The applicant (Effiong) and the class he seeks to represent can still operate those Twitter accounts from anywhere in the world and even from Nigeria.

“Nigerians are still tweeting, even at this moment as the ban on Twitter is not aimed at intimidating Nigerians or an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to express their opinion.

“The respondents (Federal Government and AGF) have never stopped the applicant (Effiong) and the class of persons he seeks to represent from voicing their opinions to access government information and offer criticism where necessary,” the affidavit read in part.

“The first and third respondents are not aware of any tweet purportedly emanating from President Muhammadu Buhari which Twitter investigated and found that it violated Twitter rules and that Twitter did not consider it proper to inform the third respondent of such,” read the counter-affidavit deposed to by Ilop Lawrence, a litigant at the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the AGF and FG.

Federal Government also in the affidavit said the violence that erupted during last year’s #EndSARS protests was sponsored by Twitter and its founder, Jack Dorsey.

The respondents further maintained that despite the ban on Twitter, Nigerians have continued to use the site every day.

The affidavit then concluded with the respondents vowing to continue to suspend the use of the microblogging site in the Nigerian cyberspace once Twitter is able to and has complied with Nigerian laws as required for it to inter alia to be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari while receiving a delegation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the State House, led by its National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who had called to intimate him on the extent of losses to critical assets and property lost in violent attacks by hoodlums in parts of the country, said: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

The President’s comments were subsequently posted by his media aides to his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

However, the post was massively reported by Nigerian users who saw it as inciting and insensitive, as well as being genocidal, as it made reference to the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War. Twitter deleted the tweet, on the grounds of it violating its rules.

Barely, two days after Twitter deleted Buhari’s post, the Federal Government announced an indefinite ban on operations of the microblogging site for allegedly promoting insurrection in the country.

Federal Government conveyed the ban on Twitter operations in the country via a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Friday, June 4.

The statement signed by his Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi read: ‘Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.’

Mohammed, in explaining the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, in a statement issued in Abuja , cited the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Barely three days later, on Monday, June7, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) also directed all broadcast stations operating in the country to deactivate their Twitter handles with immediate effect.

The NBC said the directive is sequel to the June 4 suspension slammed on operations of the microblogging platform in Nigeria by the Federal Government, as announced by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

The Commission, in a statement issued, Monday, by its then Acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, titled: “Suspend Twitter handles,” directed broadcast stations in the country to “de-install Twitter handles and desist from using Twitter as a source (UGC) of information gathering for News and programmes presentation especially phone-in.”

The NBC further added that ‘it will be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information therefore strict compliance is enjoined.”

Same week, telecommunications network providers implemented the order by the Federal Government to impose an indefinite ban on operations of Twitter, as they disabled social media platform on their networks.

The telcos, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said there has been a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to block Nigerians from accessing the platform.

A statement jointly signed by ALTON Chairman and Executive Secretary, Gbenga Adebayo and Gbolahan Awonuga read: “We, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) wish to confirm that our members have received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter.”